to be honest i am not sure he has enough tools to be a pro stud. That being said the main thing is that AJ has had to put too little games on his back. he seems clutch but the sample is just soo small.

Bama being soo talented legitimately makes it tougher for me to evaluate him

McCarron is going to face the same problem Eddie Lacy did. He plays on a dominant team behind a dominant OLine, even compared to the elite talent of the SEC. He's got a great coach that puts him in the best opportunities to succeed and not look bad. All of that makes evaluating him very difficult and makes you really want to look for the flaws that you assume are being hidden.

Combined with the fact that his measurables aren't going to blow you away, he often has lazy footwork (seems to be when he knows the defense isn't bringing extra blitzers and his OLine is going to maul their dline, so why bother I guess?) and he doesn't throw the prettiest ball, I see him as more of a 3rd or 4th rounder. I think Barkley was a better prospect.

IAC I know at your age you tend to forget things but you've posted that same list a half dozen times. And it's not exactly like you're posting some guru there.

It is the first list posted on NFL.com and was relevant to a number of postings on different subjects so I thought it was worth noting on each. I don't do it for the veterans on this site but for newcomers who may not know where to look for information. Just trying to be helpful.

Well, you can question the talent around him, but that didn't stop Bradford from getting picked #1 overall.

i still maintain that that was weird (although mainly due to a lack of physical tools)

the thing is, the OU was an offense where the pass was a big part. there overall season stats where quite balanced run/pass but in tight games it was a pass first offense. It also was a record setting offense.

when you look at a OU game you always felt that bradford was an integral part to them winning games, when i look at bama they win on the ground

Well, you can question the talent around him, but that didn't stop Bradford from getting picked #1 overall.

But Bradford ran an offense that demanded much more of the QB position. At Alabama, they run, run, run and run some more. The QB can simply take advantage of defenses designed to stop the run. Plus when you have an OL like they do, the QB's true value can easily be misjudged.

Well, you can question the talent around him, but that didn't stop Bradford from getting picked #1 overall.

Quote:

Originally Posted by D-Unit

But Bradford ran an offense that demanded much more of the QB position. At Alabama, they run, run, run and run some more. The QB can simply take advantage of defenses designed to stop the run. Plus when you have an OL like they do, the QB's true value can easily be misjudged.

very true, lines as dominant over defense as alabama was are few and far between in the nfl. its one thing to have weapons but its totally different to have and o-line that can easily get 6 or 7 on the run on first down or give the qb the ability to sit in the pocket and make ham sandwich every time he drops back. plus when i watched alabama the passing is limited in what they do. its pretty much just playaction, screens or 3-5 step drops. mccarron never has a straight 7 step dropback looking to push the ball downfield. they don't put him in situations to make mistakes

But Bradford ran an offense that demanded much more of the QB position. At Alabama, they run, run, run and run some more. The QB can simply take advantage of defenses designed to stop the run. Plus when you have an OL like they do, the QB's true value can easily be misjudged.

On top of that when they do throw deep it is almost always off of play action against a D coming up to stop the run and is usually a one or two read play to limit his chances to make mistakes. He is a very good college QB who thrives off of the talent of others around him. He could be a good backup in the NFL but doesn't have the skill set needed to be a long term starting QB in the NFL.

On top of that when they do throw deep it is almost always off of play action against a D coming up to stop the run and is usually a one or two read play to limit his chances to make mistakes. He is a very good college QB who thrives off of the talent of others around him. He could be a good backup in the NFL but doesn't have the skill set needed to be a long term starting QB in the NFL.

We don't know what McCarron's skillset is as a pro prospect because of the offense he runs at Alabama.

If Andrew Luck played for Saban in the same offense, he'd be a huge mystery as a prospect too.
It just wouldn't surprise me if McCarron becomes a decent to good NFL QB.

On top of that when they do throw deep it is almost always off of play action against a D coming up to stop the run and is usually a one or two read play to limit his chances to make mistakes. He is a very good college QB who thrives off of the talent of others around him. He could be a good backup in the NFL but doesn't have the skill set needed to be a long term starting QB in the NFL.

I feel this is simply just an assumption because he quarterbacks for Alabama. Alabama is gonna have talent all over the field and it's quite possible that could also hold true for the QB position.

I went back and watched McCarron's performance in the National Championship. He did a terrific job with ball placement downfield toward the boundaries against the zone defenses Notre Dame presented to him, and AJ did such a nice job of understanding what Notre Dame was trying to do defensively and he was content with taking the underneath route or check down when the play called for it. AJ showcased his pocket presence, even though Notre Dame didn't generate much pressure, but when they did he kept his eyes downfield and moved himself into a clean part of the pocket.

AJ doesn't have the "elite" tools like a Matthew Stafford, but when I watch him I can see some Matt Ryan to his game. I'm not saying he'll be Ryan good, but he's certainly more than just a game manager.